Amy Adkins Taylor, VICAP Program Coordinator with the Valley Program for Aging Services, spoke to 33 people at the community luncheon held at the Highland Inn in Monterey about Medicare and Part D on Wednesday.
If you were unable to attend the luncheon but would like to talk with a counselor about Medicare, call 468-2178 or email Harmony Leonard, [email protected] to schedule an appointment.
The National Center on Elder Abuse reminds us that Medicare open enrollment (October 15-December 7) is a prime opportunity for Medicare scammers to take advantage of older adults.
A good read is this U.S. News article “How to Protect Yourself Against Common Medicare Scams” – health.usnews.com/health-news/medicare/articles/2015/10/15/how-to-protect-yourself-against-common-medicare-scams.
The article discusses five common Medicare scams: 1) “you must change plans”; 2) “Medicare is changing cards”; 3) “For you, a special price”; 4) “health fair scams”; and 5) “phony organizations”.
Some important things to keep in mind to avoid scams include:
1. Guard your Medicare number (likely the same as your social security number). Don’t give it to anyone you don’t know for certain is part of your health care team
2. Medicare will never call or email you with product offers.
3. An insurance agent is not allowed to visit your home to sell or endorse any Medicare product.
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Chris Graham
